NL West

Now Commenting On:

Spring will bring non-roster invitees

Non-roster invitees to join Reds in Spring

Email

Print

By Mark Sheldon
/
MLB.com |

CINCINNATI -- The Reds claimed an outfielder on Friday and announced more Spring Training invites.

Outfielder Jeff Fiorentino was picked up off waivers from the Orioles, which brought the Reds' 40-man roster to 39 players. Fiorentino batted .282 with 15 home runs, 65 RBIs, a .346 on-base percentage and a .445 slugging percentage in 2007 for Double-A Bowie.

A former third-round Draft pick, Fiorentino was designated for assignment by Baltimore on Wednesday. Considered a good defensive player with speed, he has 32 games of Major League experience in 2005-06 and batted .253 (21-for-83) with one homer and 12 RBIs.

Right-handed pitcher Jim Brower, infielders Jolbert Cabrera, Andy Green, and Andy Phillips and left-handed pitcher Adam Pettyjohn agreed to Minor League contracts and were invited to the big league camp as non-roster players.

A veteran of parts of nine big league seasons, Brower appeared in three games last season for the Yankees, but spent most of the year in Triple-A. Cabrera, a .258 career hitter over seven seasons, last played in the Majors in 2004 and spent last year in the Rockies and Cardinals organizations.

Green spent parts of 2004-06 with the Diamondbacks and carried a .199 average. Phillips batted .292 in 61 games for the Yankees last season, playing a majority of his games at first base. Pettyjohn's only big league season came in 2001 with the Tigers. In 28 starts with the Brewers' Double-A and Triple-A teams, he was 16-6 with a 4.07 ERA, 34 walks and 137 strikeouts.

The transactions brought the total to 54 players that will be in Reds camp when Spring Training opens on Feb. 16 in Sarasota, Fla.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.